Fan-favourite character Roy Harper, who joined the series as a guest star midway through season one and later became one of the regular characters, left at the end of season three after letting the world believe he was he Arrow, then faking his own death and leaving town. Girlfriend Thea tried to entice him back but all she got was his hand-me-down costume.

Haynes himself Tweeted about his return (above) while executive producer Marc Guggenheim told Entertainment Weekly, “We are beyond thrilled that Colton will be returning to Arrow this season. It was always our intention to have him return following his departure last season, but it was a matter of finding the right storyline to pull it off. That opportunity presented itself in Episode 412, and we can’t wait for the fans to see this reunion.”